GASEOUS EXCHANGE AND RESPIRATION
Which of the following are respiratory
1. Which one of the following is the best
description of respiration?
A. Breathing in oxygen and breathing our
carbon dioxide.
B. Absorption of oxygen in the alveoli.
C. Release of energy in the cell
D. Gaseous exchange
2. Which one of the following processes
needs energy?
A. Absorption of water by root hairs.
B. Gaseous exchange in the alveoli.
C. Loss of turgidity by plant cell.
D. Absorption of mineral salts by root hairs.
3. By which one of the following processes
does carbondioxide leave the blood
capillaries into the alveoli?
A. Osmosis
B. Active transport
C. Diffusion
D. Capillary
4. In one –day old tadpoles, gaseous
exchange is performed by
A. lungs
B. external gills
C. internal gills
D. skin of the tail.
5. An athlete has just finished a race. The
phrase “oxygen debt” refer to
A. the amount of oxygen originally present
in the muscles of the athletes
before the race.
B. The amount of oxygen taken in after the
race and used to complete the
combustion of some of the lactic acid.
C. The total amount of oxygen taken in
during panting after the race.
D. The amount of oxygen needed by the
lungs after the race for combustion of
glucose.
1 © 2012 GHS topical discussion. Biology Dept
6.
surfaces in toads and frogs?
A. The mouth, webbed toes and skin
B. Nostrils, mouth and skin
C. Webbed toes, lungs and mouth
D. The mouth, lungs and skin.
7. Which of the following are respiratory
surfaces in toads and frogs?
A. The mouth, webbed toes and skin
B. Nostrils, mouth and skin
C. Webbed toes, lungs and mouth
D. The mouth, lungs and skin.
8. Which of the following is the best
description of the term double circulation in
a mammal?
A. Blood flows into the two lungs and then
into the body.
B. Blood passes through two chambers of
the heart.
C. Blood passes through the heart twice in
one circulation.
D. Blood first through arteries and then
through veins.
9. When blood passes from the lungs to the
kidney it has to go through the
A. pulmonary artery, tricuspid valve and
aorta.
B. pulmonary vein, bicuspid valve and aorta.
C. anterior venacava, tricuspid valve and
aorta.
D. posterior venacava, biscupid valve and
aorta.
10. Which one of the following statements is
the most appropriate definition of
respiration?
A. The oxidation of sugar to produce energy
and water.
B. Breathing in oxygen, oxidation of food
and release of water, carbon dioxide
and energy.
C. The exchange of oxygen and
carbondioxide in the lungs.
D. The oxidation of sugar to produce D. Oxygen, carbondioxide and water are
carbondioxide and energy. involved.

11. Which one of the following groups of 17. Which one of the following is the best
animals uses gills, skin, buccal cavity and description of respiration?
lungs for gaseous exchange at some stage in A. Breathing in oxygen and breathing our
their lifecycle? carbon dioxide.
A. Fish B. Absorption of oxygen in the alveoli.
B. Amphibians C. Release of energy in the cell
C. Reptiles D. Gaseous exchange
D. Mammals
19. A. the rate of respiration is low during
12. The best explanation for panting of an the day.
athlete immediately after a race is to B. Some of the carbon dioxide produced is
A. allow fast blood flow to the lungs. used up internally for
B. restore the used up energy. photosynthesis.
C. take in more oxygen. C. Transpiration interferes with carbon
D. allow fast blood flow from the muscles. dioxide evolution by leaves.
D. Most stomata close due to strong heat
13. A mosquito larva breathes by means of during the day.
A. spiracles
B. gills 20.Which one of the following is true of
C. segments respiration but not of photosynthesis?
D. nostril. A. Oxygen is given out
B. Carbondioxide is taken in.
14. In one –day old tadpoles, gaseous C. Glucose is synthesizes.
exchange is preformed by D. Carbon dioxide is released.
A. lungs
B. external gills 21. In plants, anaerobic respiration is less
C. internal gills efficient than aerobic respiration because
D. skin of the tail. during anaerobic respiration
A. not all the carbohydrates are broken
15. Which one of the following groups of down.
animals uses gills, skin, buccal cavity and B. the amount of carbondioxide released is
lungs for gaseous exchange at some stage in less than in aerobic respiration.
their lifecycle? C. there is less energy released per unit
A. Fish weight of carbohydrates broken down.
B. Amphibians D. less water is produced in anaerobic
C. Reptiles respiration.
D. Mammals
21. What are the final products of anaerobic
16. Which one of the following is common respiration?
respiration and photosynthesis? A. Carbon dioxide, water and energy.
A. Energy is released. B. Carbon dioxide, water and alcohol.
B. Both occur in all living cells. C. Carbon dioxide, alcohol and energy.
C. Food oxidations is common to both. D. Carbon dioxide and alcohol.

2 © 2012 GHS topical discussion. Biology Dept

 B. Spiracle, trachea and tracheoles.
22. Which one of the following statements is C. Spiracles, trachea and bronchioles.
the most appropriate definition of D. Trachea, bronchus and bronchioles.
respiration?
A. The oxidation of sugar to produce energy 27. Under what condition is lactic acid likely
and water. to be accumulated in man?
B. Breathing in oxygen, oxidation of food A. During sleep
and release of water, carbon dioxide B. When engaged in a vigorous physical
and energy. exercise.
C. The exchange of oxygen and carbon C. After breathing in excess and
dioxide in the lungs. carbondioxide.
D. The oxidation of sugar to produce carbon D. After consuming a lot of malt.
dioxide and energy.
28. Which fins in fish are used for creating a
23. Aerobic respiration is more efficient current of water to facilitate breathing
than anaerobic while the fish is stationary?
A. uses more oxygen. A. Dorsal fins.
B. yields lactic acid. B. Pectoral fins
C. uses less oxygen. C. Pelvic fins
D. yields more energy. D. Caudal fins.

24. The following are products of tissue 29. The part of the brain that controls
respiration in living organisms. breathing is the
(i) energy A. cerebellum
(ii) carbon dioxide B. medulla oblongata
(iii) water C. cerebrum
(iv) ethanol D. hypothalamus.
(v) lactic acid
Which of them are common to both aerobic 30. The condition known as “oxygen debt”
and anerobic and anerobic respiration occurs during active physical exercise in
in plants? animals because of the
A. (i) and (ii) A. accumulation of carbondioxide during
B. (ii) and (iii) physical exercise.
C. (i), (ii) and (iii) B. the high rate of breathing during physical
D. (ii), ((iv) and (v) exercise.
C. Accumulation of lactic acid in the body.
25. Which one of the following is true of D. Accumulation of alcohol in the body.
both photosynthesis and respiration?
A. Involve enzymes. 31. The data below shows the amount of
B. Need light energy. carbondioxide in inhaled air, rate of
C. Are exothermic. breathing
D. Occur in all organisms. at rest and volume of air in a breath in
humans:
26. Which one of the following forms part Percentage of carbondioxide to inhaled air =
of the insect respiratory system? 0.025%
A. Trachea, trancheoles and bronchioles. Number of breaths per minute = 36

3 © 2012 GHS topical discussion. Biology Dept

Volume of one breath taken in at rest =
500cm3
The volume of carbon dioxide inhaled per
minute while at rest is
A. 0.9 cm3
B. 45 cm3
C. 12.5 cm3
D. 450 cm3
32. Which one of the following is the correct
response to increased carbon dioxide in
human blood? The rate of
A. breathing is slowed.
B. heartbeat is slowed down.
C. heartbeat is increased.
D. the pulse is slowed down.
33. Green plants produce less carbon
dioxide during the day because
A. the rate of respiration is low during the
day.
B. Some of the carbon dioxide produced is
used up internally for
photosynthesis.
C. Transpiration interferes with carbon
dioxide evolution by leaves.
D. Most stomata close due to strong heat
during the day.
34. The condition known as „oxygen debt‟
occurs during active physical exercise in
animals because of the
A. accumulation of carbon dioxide during
physical exercise.
B. the high rate of breathing during physical
exercise.
C. Accumulation of lactic acid in the body.
D. Accumulation of alcohol in the body.
35. 2g of food substance was burnt, and the
heat produced raised the temperature of
50cm of water from 250C to 370C. What is
the energy content of the food
substance in joules per gram? (Specific heat
capacity of water = 4.2j per gram).
4 © 2012 GHS topical discussion. Biology Dept
A. 1260 joules B. 2520 joules C. 300
joules D. 105 joules
36. Which one of the following forms part
of the insect respiratory system?
A. Trachea, trancheoles and bronchioles.
B. Spiracle, trachea and tracheoles.
C. Spiracles, trachea and bronchioles.
D. Trachea, bronchus and bronchioles.
37. (a) What is “tissue respiration”?
(b) Explain why tissue respiration is
an important process.
(c) Describe an experiment to show
that germinating seeds liberate carbon
dioxide.
38. (a) What is anaerobic respiration?
(b) What is the difference between
internal and external respiration?
(c) How does gaseous exchange
occur in bony fish? Green plants
produce less carbon dioxide during
the day because
39. Describe an experiment you would carry
out to show that heat is liberated
by germinating seeds.
40. Describe an experiment to show that
carbon dioxide is given out during
exhalation
41. (a) How does gaseous exchange take
place in an insect?
(b) How does gaseous exchange in
insects differ from that in mammals?
42. How does gaseous exchange occur in
amphibians in aquatic and terrestrial
habitats?
43. (a) Explain how the action of muscles
causes air to pass from the atmosphere
into the lungs.
(b) How does oxygen move from the air in (c) Name two commercial uses of
the lungs into the cells of the blood? anaerobic respiration.
(c) Give three characteristics of an efficient
respiratory organ. 47. (a) What is respiration?
(b) State three differences between
44. The table below show the percentage aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
composition of inhaled and exhaled air, in a (c) Describe gaseous exchange in a frog.
human being at rest and also the
composition of exhaled air, during exercise. 48. (a) What is anaerobic respiration?
Use (b) What is the difference between internal
the information in the table to answer the and external respiration?
questions that follow. (c) How does gaseous exchange occur in
Inhale Water Nitrog Carbo Oxyge bony fish?
d Air vapou en n n
at rest r dioxid 49. (a) Explain how the action of muscles
e causes air to pass from the atmosphere
Variab 79% 0.03% 20.96 into the lungs.
le % (b) How does oxygen move from the air
Exhal 0.8% 79% 4.1% 16.2% in the lungs into the cells of the blood?
ed Air (c) Give three characteristics of an
at rest efficient respiratory organ.
Exhal 0.92% 79% 4.5% 15.5%
ed Air 50. (a) Outline the mechanism of (bony fish)
during (i) Inspiration
exerci (ii) Expiration
se (b) How are gills adapted for gaseous
exchange in a bony fish?
45. (a) State the differences in composition
between inhaled and exhaled air at rest 51. (a) Describe Gaseous exchange in plants
(b) Give a reason for each difference (b) Describe the structures for gaseous
stated in (a). exchange in plants
(c) State the changes that occur in the
composition of exhaled air in a human who
is previously at rest, then takes an exercise.
(d) Give a reason why each change
stated in (c) occurs.
(e) During exercise, the breathing rate
increase. From the information provided,
suggest why this happens.
(f) Why is the percentage of nitrogen
constant in inhaled and exhaled air?

46. (a) Give five differences between

respiration and photosynthesis.
(b) Give three ways in which respiration
is important to living organisms.

5 © 2012 GHS topical discussion. Biology Dept